The Billboard 1924-06-14: Vol 36 Iss 24 (1924-06-14)

TS Oey I ges ene Si ie neni A ii ie ge — fi : e = * oar ca JUNE 14, 1924 RITZ THEATER, NEW YORK Beginning Monday Evening, June 2, 1924 M aml HW. KIRKPATRICK Presents Conrad's Production of “THE FATAL WEDDING” by Theedore ‘Kremer CAST OF CHARACTERS Howard Williams, a Wealthy Clubman.. evececvcess Milano vi lden .Courtney White Tote 1 eoeee-Harry Hougenot Swartz eccooeWilliam Ker on -e-,-Arthur Dober Re I Cle-gyman. -Frank Koni ght Mat es WssSOD, F10WArG B&B WikC.cccceccecses ildred Southwick Cora Wi Mis Ss Mistress...» _ Se eee ree >6e007ARR * Crawford Jessie, the Little Mother.....Little Georginna Frankie Wilson ............ --..Master Harry SYNOPSIS PROLOG—Scene 1; Home of the Wilsons. Seene 2: Corridor of Divorce Court. Home of the Wilsons. ACT I—Scene: An attic room in a New York t Scene 3: ACT Ii—Scene 1: The Wilson Mansion. Scene 2: Corridor in Wilson Home. Scene 3: The Hut on the Valisades. ACT IiIl—Scene: The Interior Church, of Grace To one who in his youth assiduously attended the galleries of the Third Avenue and Star theaters and reveled in the melodramatic fare offered there, ‘‘The Fatal Wedding’’ comes as a welcome addition to the Broadway season. True, it is offered for laughing purposes only, but there is more than its superficial aspect In the first place the producer of “The Fatal Wedding’ is doing it in the style of the early nineteen hundreds and achieves remarkable success in duplicating the settings, the acting style and the costuming of that period. Secondly, the producer goes much askew in attempting to portray certain characteristics of play production of that period. Thirdly, the *“shills’’ who have been planted in the audience to start the applause and the hissing have been instructed by someone with @ faulty memory. ‘hese matters i will deal with in some detail later on, but first we will consider the play as a play. “The Fatal Wedding’? is a crude play, but its crudeness is not as proportionately crude as the crudeness of other plays, considered its produced at the same period. I mean that melodramas like “The Fatal Wedling’’ were considered crude plays in 1901. It is a mistake to think the frequenter of the $2 superio-s, theaters of that day accepted them as good plays. If they ever went to them at all, it was to laugh at them, as the $2.75 audiences of today are doing. But many of the plays which that $2 playgoer considered fine and beautiful are terribly crude in 1924. So, I say, the melodrama of 1901 is not proportionately as crude as its betters of that time. In fact, an unbiased observer at the present production of “The Fatal Wedding’ will probably be surprised to find that the old play still has the power to draw a tear in several of its scenes It did that to many on the night I saw it, and some of them I know to be hardened and skey tical playgoers. The pece is played with an admirable sincerity on the part uf all concerned. To do anything el-e world have been fatal, but the temptation to try and be funny was successfully countered. As a consequence the crudity of the dialog and the situations stand out in full relief and that is quite enough to tickle the audience as a whole. But this same audience was unwisely guided lanted as its leaders in the mutter ration, particularly as regards hiss>» old melodramas hiss'ng the villain miy when We had a particularly tellan exit after a particularly villainor, most generally of all, when he Ik across the eurtain. So far as I 2ziness was never hissed. at this production of ‘“‘The Fatal have been fault'ly instructed. They hissed the villainess at almost every line until the audience joined in in a spirit of fun and made the night most noisily sib‘lant. The villain they aln ignored. Then, before the curt rise, stides were flashed on a sheet instructing the ladies to remove their hats and the gents to ref-ain from expectorating. In do'ng this the producers have mixed their chronology. I doubt if any melodramatic house in 1901 boasted either motion picture pro ost entirely jector or stereopticon. These and slides came in with the early motion picture stove shows, circa 1906. The illustrated song, one of which is sung at this performance, is a mixture of place. So far as my experience goes in 1901 the illustrated song was a concomitant of ty vaudeville houses and was only tolerated there as -ertainiy the song called **The Fy which exposes the plot of th not have been sung at a perfo-mance of the play as is done here Then a loud whistle is blown to signal all cur . down. T y show eich as the old me drama managers were, would not have tolerated that I can reeall the whistle, but if was only nsed to signal the completion of a dark change Then it was used but softly The producer has in these matters overreached himself in a vain effort to “‘paint a lily The style of the acting is quite precisely that of the period depicted, and the types are aceurate. Milano Tilden was a typical moron [THE NEW PLAYS ON BROADWAY)| hero, Courtney White a true Desperate Desmond, Harry Hougenot an excellent comedy butler with a heart of gold, Mildred Southwick a properly forlorn heroine and Ann Crawford a villainess supreme. Little Georginna, a talented child actress, was an excellent Jessie, and other parts were well done by William Ker, Arthur Dober, Frahk Knight and Master Harry. Iridget, a comedy Irish servant, is unprogrammed. Whoever is doing the part is playing it in a thoroly authentic manner. There is one fundamental fault with a production of ‘‘The Fatal Wedding’? done as this is. You laugh AT the play; not WITH it. This is a pretty low form of humor and a bit too ghoulish to altogether suit this reviewer. Those who enjoy doing this, even when they know it is at a premeditated affair, will have a good time. I was more interested in the play as a play and how it affected me after a lapse of twenty or so years. That was interesting indeed. A revival in the manner of twenty years ago; well played and generaily well produced. GORDON WHYTE. time. Crude, raw humor is exhibited in the lines and situations of a book that is devoid of anything novel or ingenious. The music, which contains severa] numbers which might very well be hits, also contains several tunes which are palpable borrowings from other wellknown melodies, To be pecise about the latter statement, the number called ‘‘I Want To Be a Santa Claus", has a strain from ‘‘Irene’’ in it; one called “I'm in Wonderland” utilizes the well-known theme of the ‘“‘Sweetheart"’ song from ‘“Maytime as its opening bars; another titled ‘‘Now Is the Time’’ has a part suspiciously like a passage in *‘What'll I Do’ and ‘‘Walla-Walla” is much like “What Do You Do Sundays, Mary", from “Poppy’’ with a bit of ‘‘Mamma Loves Papa’ thrown in for good luck. Perhaps here are others which I could not recognize, but there are limitations to my musical mem ory. To me, the one fine feature of ‘‘Flossie’’ was the splendid work of the chorus. Each one of the girls is a solo dancer and in a number where they each did individual work, were HARD WORDS : SONI CAUPOLICAN (kaw-’’paw-li-kan). B. F. Keith management. 3 * CHARISSI (xah-"’ri:-si:), Mme. Calliope and -ch in German “ach”? or *ich’*. HEDDA GABLER (""he-du "'gab:blu). by Equity Players, Inc. JANVIER (‘'dzhan-vi-u), Emma. LUESCHER (‘'loo:-shu), Mark A. PSYCHIATRIC (sai-ki-’’at-rik). PAYCHIATRY (sai-’’kai-u-tri). SYRACUSE (‘‘si-ru-kjoo:s). KEY: (i) as in “‘see” (si:), as in ‘‘day’’ (dei), rounding of (c) as in Fr, ” **moasieur’’ *‘ice’’ (ais), (00:) as in ‘‘true’’ (troo:), (go.00), (aw:) as in “law” (ah:) as in ‘‘father’’ (''fah: — (waw:tu), (uh) as in “‘up’’ (uhp) (&) voiced th-sound as in “this”? velar frieative as in Scotch ‘‘loch’’ (lawx) as in ‘‘sing’’, vowels. The Indian Chieftain baritone appearing under (kah-li-"’aw-pi). who recently appeared with her ten (x) represents a spirant sound in modern Greek similar to -ch in Scotch ‘‘loch"’ Play by Henrik Ibsen Musical comedy actress now appearing in Anglicized pronunciation of a French word, a) as in ‘“‘it’’ (it), (e.) as in ‘“‘there’? (&e.u), (mu-'sj¢), (oo) as in ‘‘wood"’ (&is), (c) breathed fricative with tongue in position of (j) as in German “‘ich’’ (Tic), (x) : Ny x] be) b=4 Celebrated Greek dancer children under Keith management. The recently presented “Poppy” “January literal meaning Director-General of Keith’s Hippodrome. Fe Relating to mental diseases, Z PSYCHIATIIST (sai-’kai-u-trist). An expert in psychiatry, > The treatment of mental diseases, oe an city. TANNHAUSER (tin-"hoi-zu) or ("'tan-’*hoizu). Opera by Wagner. (e) as in ‘tmet’”? (met), (ei) (¢) pronounce close-e with the lip (a) as in ‘at’? (at), (ai) as in (wood), (0.00) as in ‘‘go’’ se (law:), (oi) as in ‘‘boy’’ (boi), (a) as in ‘‘on” (awn), yj (u:) as in “urge” (u:dzh), (us) as in ‘‘water”’ x) {3<] (j) glided i-sound as in ‘‘yes’’ (jes), and in Ger. ‘“‘ach” (tahx), (ng) one sound (?) glottal plosive which in North German precedes all initial strong Capital letters represent nasalized vowels as in Fr, ‘‘vin’’ (vE), RRRERR RRR RR RR RERREE RRR RER RRR RRR ERE REN RRM N NM MMM MEV FS FS ES, LYRIC THEATER, NEW YORK Beginning Tuesday Evening, June 3, 1924 CHARLES MULLIGAN Presents “FLOSSIE” A Musical Comedy in Two Acts. Score by Armand Robi. Lyries by Ralph Murphy. Dances and Ensembles by Jack Connors. Staged by the Author. CHARACTERS (As They Appear Before You) hook and Marie, a Fenech Maid........... Je anne TDanjon Mr. Van Cortland } « Sa » , Ad ienne, a Salexgirl .....ce-s00tetty Garson Vorpy, a Sal ME ntaccacnocnewe Mildred Brown Mary, a Sn L ecko den ‘ Helen Warren Liza, a Sa L Cecsvcscobeven “Marg O Rourke Elsie, a Sa lie Roberts ‘oe rol Seidler Archie .....:... Sydney G ant Senor ‘Don Ribeir tobert Mameluch Tommy .... -Jack Waldron Mrs. Van Cort land wT TT TTT TT? .Rose Kessner POSEY cccccee vavebeae Je Van Rein Handers and Millis —as— Flick and Flock, Salesmen Uncle Esra .cccccccccccces Shep Camp Chummy cecccce . Edw: ard Fetherston ‘Flossie’? is not materially different from the run of summer musical comedy shows, execpt in vulga-ity. It is the coarsest musical entertainment offered on Broadway in a very long quite as good as the principal dancers themselves. Nowadays a chorus girl has to be a real dancer to get a berth in a Broadway show and we have come to expect a lot from them. This chorus, tho, is more than ordinarily gifted and twice stopped the show on the night 1 saw it. The title part is played by Doris Duncan, who has a pleasant voice and considerable alility as an actress; — y Grant did full justice to a comedy role; ck Wal \dron daneed and sang nicely; She p Camp. Flossie’s he man guardian, played his part with bis usual unet is kill, and Handers and Millis got plenty of laughs by spreading their vaudeville specialty over the two acts, Jeanne Dar jou, MeNaugiiton, Alice Cavanaugh, Iuch, Rose Kessner and Edward played other parts well. Harry tobert Morne Fetherston “Flossie is a speedy show and it might easily have been made into a pleasant entertainment, had the producers not been so intent on mucking it u As it is, they have only succeeded in besmirch ng their show, without reaping any reward for their trouble. Had they looked around town, they would have found that dirt is not considered a paying investment in a musical show, Audiences will stand for a small amount of double entendre, if it Is wity and cleverly done, but they will rebel at fi't spread on with a trowel, Catchy music, competent principals and clever chorus, hampered by a dirty and unfunny book. GORDON WHYTE. CHICAGO ADELPHI THEATER, CHICAGO Beginning Sunday Evening, June 1, loc GEORGE B. MeCLELLAN Presents “THE WEREWOLF” A Three-Act Comedy by Gladys Unger (From Original of Rudolph Lothar) Staged by Clifford Brooke Cast of Characters: Duchess of Capablanca..¢...Laura Hope Crews Camilla, her ~yvataiehdlaldniceiec nema Coak! Eliphas Leone..... President. of the Barcelona Society for Psychic Research , Coeoecvece seccseccesssLAnnox I’aw! Florencio de Viana, State At‘orn y of BarceloMR cccccccce -Warburton Gamb! Paolo Moreira, Profe sor ‘at the Barcelona Girls’ College... seseeeslL@elie Howard Vincente, the Butler.......eeceese.-Bela Lugos eee, SOO FERIE. . ci cakinss baneads Gaby Fleur Caterina, a Peasant Gi rl. seeeeeee Ruth Mitche The Priest..... ee. Sydney Paxton The action takes pla ace “in the Saracen Room of the Duchess of Capablanca’s Castle in Spain Synopsis of Scenes; Act I—Noon. ‘Act Il—Evening of the same day Act III—Early the next morning. “The Werewolf’’ is a quantity that the erit approaches in descriptive phrases with abe the same equanimity he senses when libel is in the offing. He quits where he would most lik to step on the gas. In this mercurial creat on with its exotic Castilian setting the wrap and woof of romance 102 in the shade frolics and persists, Admirable cleverness of handling, rising to genius at critical intervals, pilots a high-keyed steed along a safe path. Never ha this reviewer seen Laura Hope Crews so con summately finished a comedienne as in th pulsing “Werewolf. As the duchess, Mi. Crews is the dominant center of a maze of plot comic, dangerous and with many supp shifts where a ‘ribute is paid to the imagination of the audience. The duchess entertains . in her palace a professor from a girls’ school, a spirit medium, a young countess and a Barcelona lawyer of worldly viewpoint. Three peasant girls testify to the advances of a bold, bad man in the castle grounds, The medium thinks it is the astral body of the skylarking at night. Whereat the other girls from the countryside flock to the castle gates to get a good look at the professor who can't harness bis astral pre fessor body when asleep. There is a love scene between the duches and the professor that is something to lo back upon as a fragment snatched from ¢t (Continued on page 166) THE SPOKEN WORD (Continued from page 35) elles’ was particularly enjoyable Roberta Beatty also had several pleasing numbers. Answers F. G. B.—Q. Is “roue” stressed on the first or second A. The dictionaries as a rule treat ‘‘roue™ as a foreign word In other terms, it bas not been <Anglicized, and educated speakers usually give it French pronunciation with slight stress on the last syllable (roo:-"el) It Is absurd, however, to think that educated speakers always give the French pronunciation to this familiar word, which has probably been used in English speech for a bundred While the speakers who Anglicize the minority, they exist. syllaile? years, word may represent a Isabel Irving in w Bride’ stresses the first syllable (roo: ei). This is not without support. Stormonth'’s Dictionary (1885) gives the Anglicized pronunciation first choice, Worcester recognized it and some of the latest tionaries record {ft ag good use. ‘broken on a wheel’ phonetic dik The term literally means or ‘worn out’ and was first used in sense by the regent of France (1715-1782), the Duke of Orleans, to designate bis dissipated companions, VIENNA By BARNET BRAVERMAN Care Fremden Buro, Wiener Bank Verein (American Express Co.) FROM LONDON TOWN The Vaudeville Field Billboard Office, 18 Charing Cross Road, W. C. 2 By “WESTCENT"” The German Situation ONDON, May 24.—It has caused acute dissension in Germany that British acts are being played, and at the time of writing only one imported German act—the Briants—are playing here As already cabled many Pritishers have future bookings for the Fatherland, but so far hardly any British contracts have been given to Germans. Billy Bleach of the Stoll Tour is making an extended tour there, but H. M. Tennant stayed but a few days and came back firmly of the opinion that there were not many novelties there. It is most curlous that before the index was lifted by the V. A, F, the British managers were craving or at least said they wanted the foreign ts fo inject novelty into their programs, and now there does not seem to be much of a rush. It ls true that they are asking far tuo high a salary, and, therefore, the contracta are not forthcoming. On the reverse the German mana (Continued on page 142) TENNA, May 14.—The theater event of the V season here is the opening of Max Rein hard’t new Josef Stadtes Theater. Thi playhouse, originally built in 1790, was pretty much of a shack when taken over by Reinhardt & Castiglione, the Italian Jew. The latter's cash has been back of the remodeling of the theater, and today it looks very much as it must have appeared in 1790, with its baroque design and red silk decorations, Reinhardt broke precedent the other day when he canceled the opening dates for his first two productions because he thought they needed more time for preparation The open ing date of the tr production, Goldoni's “A Servant to Two Gentlemen”, was canceled three times. Apparently Reinhardt’s first con (Continued on page 133) sa+wtaenenm ~~ w= enacpeaen eG @